Fuel level sensors are known for detecting the fuel level in gasoline tanks of automobiles, which include an arm having a buoyant member at the end. The arm is pivotally mounted to a frame assembly and at the end of the arm opposite the buoyant member is a contact member. Mounted below the contact member is a ceramic resistor card. The ceramic resistor card includes multiple traces that typically extend out like the spokes of a wheel in an arc that is approximately 120.degree.. As the level of the fuel changes, the buoyant member moves up and down and causes the arm to which it is attached to change its angle and therefore move the contact along the arc shaped conductive traces of the ceramic resistor card, which then sends a signal to the fuel level indicator. Due to the simplified nature of the arm having the direct motion imparted to the ceramic resistor card, the card must be formed on a large scale with the circuit traces best being formed in an arc. The ceramic resistor card having resistors associated therewith is generally the most expensive component of the fuel level sensor. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide for a fuel level sensor that has a smaller ceramic resistor card. A fuel level sensor that is orientated and assembled in a different manner would allow for the ceramic resistor card to be greatly reduced in size and therefore reduce the cost of this sensor.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide for a fuel level sensor having a miniaturized ceramic resistor card. It is another object of the present invention to provide for a fuel level sensor that does not require the ceramic resistor card to be best formed with conductive traces in an arc shape.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a fuel level sensor having a cam attached at the pivot end of the fuel level sensor arm in order to transform the arcing motion of the arm to a linear motion.